The 1st Commanders Meeting of the UEHMG took place in Korneuburg on 19 October 2024. The President, Major General iTR Michael Blaha, MSc, invited other umbrella organisations at all levels and, of course, the member associations of the UEHMG. Over 40 participants accepted the invitation, resulting in a colourful mix of functionaries, associations and uniforms.
After the official welcome by the President and a round of introductions of all participants, the commander of the conference location in the military barracks of the NBC Defence Centre, Colonel Mag. Jürgen Schlechter, addressed the attendees and presented the tasks and capabilities of his troops. President Major General iTR Michael Blaha, MSc, then explained the reasons for this meeting in detail. He pointed out the impact of the pandemic, inflation and war in Europe in recent years. All commanders were now called upon to work with motivation and commitment to improve the quality of the maintenance of tradition and to promote cooperation at all levels.
The guest of honour at the event, HIRH Karl von Habsburg, emphasised the importance of maintaining military tradition as a link between the past and the present. Compliance with rules, norms and standards is important to him and he also sees the task of quality assurance as anchored in the UEHMG as an umbrella organisation. Particularly when it comes to the awarding of medals and honours, he said, it is important to pay attention to the seriousness and always ask the question of the legitimacy of the award. With its ‘sub auspiciis’ seal, which the UEHMG was the first institution ever to be awarded, he emphasised the trust placed in the UEHMG as an institution and the leadership of the current President.
After the group photo, Major General iTR Michael Blaha, MSc, introduced the three planned working groups and their chairmen. The first working group dealt with the basic definition and differentiation of the maintenance of tradition, the second working group dealt with the gos and no-gos in execution, including how to deal with mistakes, and the third working group dealt with communication of the umbrella organisations with their members and with each other. The results of the working groups were then presented and we will of course distribute the protocols within the UEHMG as soon as they are available in writing.
Finally, the President honoured two awards that had been pending for some time. The Administration Officer Captain iTR Franz Schlosser was awarded the Badge of Honour as a neck medal and the Adjutant General Major General iTR Peter Pritz was awarded the Great Golden Badge of Honour as a breast star – both with great applause and the approval of the comrades present. In addition, each participant in the Commanders Meeting received a certificate of thanks and recognition, a commemorative pin and a bottle of traditional wine as a gift.
After an intensive day of work, characterised by motivation, camaraderie and engagement, everyone left the barracks with the clear opinion to continue this meeting next year and to work together on the implementation of the results. A complete success for the UEHMG and a big thank you to everyone involved!
